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<title>Spooktober Day 2 - Grim Reaper - Ace x Reader by NakuNakuNoMi</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26793835">Spooktober Day 2 - Grim Reaper - Ace x Reader</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NakuNakuNoMi/pseuds/NakuNakuNoMi'>NakuNakuNoMi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>NakuNakuNoMi's 2020 Spooktober [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Death, Drabble, Grim Reaper - Freeform, Marineford, Other, Sadness, Spooktober</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:48:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>638</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26793835</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NakuNakuNoMi/pseuds/NakuNakuNoMi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff"><p>Day 2 of my Spooktober 2020 challenge on Tumblr (@NakuNakuNoMi on Tumblr too)! My followers chose the characters of multiple fandoms with a mystery prompt that was either a trick (angst / horror) or a treat (fluff / romance).</p></div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Portgas D. Ace x Reader - Relationship, Portgas D. Ace/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>NakuNakuNoMi's 2020 Spooktober [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spooktober Day 2 - Grim Reaper - Ace x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>You had followed this man all his life. Watched him grow from a young child into a young man. Watched him hate himself, every single day of his life. Witnessed him finding his brothers. Saw how he found his family, his adoptive dad. Watched him feel actual happiness and then regret it the moment he felt truly happy, just because he didn’t feel like he was actually deserving of such feelings. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>If you had a heart, it would squeeze painfully every time he was alone, sitting upright in his bed, hugging his knees, wondering if it was really okay to be relaxed and happy. Or every time he was laughing and smiling with his newfound family, his eyes never really following the gesture his mouth was making.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Every reaper followed their human from birth until death. Every person had their reaper. It was a lonely existence. You couldn’t see the other reapers, you can only see the humans, and they can’t see or hear you. You guard your human, and once they’ve reached the end, you help them cross and move onto the next one. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>So, sometimes you would break the rules. But only a little. In Ace’s deepest, darkest hours, you placed a hand on his shoulder. It was not his time yet. He could push on, just a little more. Even though you knew it would all be for naught. Even though you knew he was going to die soon. It was not your job to prevent that. You were just there to guide him along. And you’d give him what little support you could without breaking the rules too hard. A gentle touch, brushing the hair out of his face as he slept. He would never know it was you, but it eased your mind knowing that you could give him these little comforts. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>But now his time was running out and no comfort you could offer could do something about the way he was completely weakened. No gentle touches could heal the bruises on his wrists from being chained up. No stroking of his hair could ease the nightmares where he would whimper out his brother’s names, after being strong and silent for hours on end. In sleep, it was harder to hide such weaknesses. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>You were not allowed to get attached. It was in the rules. And they were easy. No use in getting attached to someone who you were going to outlive, someone who could not see you, would not even know you existed until the very last moment of their life. And yet. Ace was different. You knew he deserved better. You wished he would realize just how much happiness he deserved. But at this point, it felt like it was all too late. He would possibly never know, and you were already involved just too much. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>And then the moment was there. It was the tears that did it. They made you feel some way you never felt before, a way you weren’t even supposed to feel. It happened the moment Ace realized just how much he was loved and cared for. You watched it play out, resisting the urge to wipe the tears away, but now, more than any other moment, you needed to stand back and watch it play out. Soak up the desperation. Feel the presence of your fellow reapers, as there were undoubtedly a lot of them sharing the same fate as you today: spending the final seconds with their human. It almost… hurt? </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He went with a smile. He thanked them. You felt rain. Soft droplets on your skin. You were waiting for him, ready to stretch out your hand for the final seconds before you would never see him again, and undoubtedly forget. You looked up at the sky and noticed it was clear. </p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 2 of my Spooktober 2020 challenge on Tumblr (@NakuNakuNoMi on Tumblr too)! My followers chose the characters of multiple fandoms with a mystery prompt that was either a trick (angst / horror) or a treat (fluff / romance).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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